Kenyan farmers turn poisonous weed into animal feed

A weed called Prosopis juliflora, known as Mathenge was introduced more than 20 years ago to reverse soil erosion due to its extensive root system in Kenya. The plant originates from South America, was introduced in to the Baringo district (Rift Valley Province, Kenya). The plant thrives in harsh climates and spreads rapidly in arid and semi-arid areas, covering huge tracts of land and wiping out other species along the way.

However, the galloping weed disfigures the jaws of livestock that feed on it due to its hard pods and causes tooth decay because of the pods’ high sugar content. In some circumstances animals have lost their tongues and even died after feeding on the weed. Its poisonous thorns also regularly cause inflammation to both humans and livestock, which takes weeks to subside, and in some cases, where infection persists untreated, has led to amputation of limbs. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers Ltd